


Pitch's Secret

by AllisonNoir



Category: Guardians of Childhood & Related Fandoms, Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:29:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27575213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllisonNoir/pseuds/AllisonNoir
Summary: After defeating Pitch, Tooth realises someone has to go back to the Tooth Boxes. Jack takes in the task.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	1. Fear

“You really don’t have to-- ” said Tooth for the tenth time or more like after every single occasion when Jack arrived with an other bag of boxes and started to find their places on the Wall of Memories. He would have liked to point to her that he at least owed to her with that, but he didn’t want to repeat himself, and on the other hand she _did_ needed his help. She could be distracted by the Tooth Boxes.

  
Tooth was too fascinated by every single one. It gave the expression as she looked to them like she would have met with a family member. Her eyes gloved in joy and excitement and her smile reached her eyes. She could be easily mesmerised by the memories inside. She had stories worth sharing about all the kids. Jack should have said a word about the delay but the Guardian of Memories seemed so delighted and after defeating Pitch, he didn’t want to bring it up to her. Jack felt she deserved happiness, so then he patiently waited for the little break until she finished the latest story and got disturbed by another person’s memories. That was the time when she wasn’t expected the other as an audience and Jack could fly away with the empty bag for another round.

  
The little fairies undoubtedly could have been quicker but Jack first of all gladly helped getting back the boxes from Pitch’s Lair, and on the second, he rather undertook the task then minding the other case, imaging again the fairies that place. He was sure neither them wished once more being there. Jack remembered the day after they all celebrated the new Guardian, Tooth had been walking up and down – rather flying in mid-air like a mad hummingbird – in North’s Workshop. No one had to be a genius to know, she had been worried. She had almost screamed in surprise when she had realised him marking her.

  
“What is it, Tooth?” Jack had asked concerned. It had seemed much worse than a simple upset – and to tell the truth she could have been the fastest being upset about nearly everything.

  
“It’s-- it’s really nothing, I just-- ” she had tried but both her words and gestures had told the situation. Jack hadn’t known how but he immediately had realised the case.

  
“I can do it.” he had said firmly, and without any second thought, she had just jumped to his shoulders and embraced him tight.

  
“Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jack. You don’t know what it means to me.”

  
“I know.” Jack had said then barely audible and before the other Guardians would have woken up he had got a bag from the Yetis along with of course one of North’s globes and had flown away.

  
If he had to confess he was still a bit afraid of that cursed place but he was behaving brave for Tooth. He had promised her not to tell the others about it, partly because he wanted to keep it a secret mission as a pay for their trust in him, and on the other hand he had already led the Guardians in trouble. They really shouldn’t have fallen into difficulty because of him again.

  
As long as Tooth’s previous endless tales were echoing in his mind, he didn’t care about the place’s radiation. At the first time the braveness had led him, and then the stories distracted his consciousness, and now he had only a pile left. Jack collected the Tooth Boxes. He had hoped the rest would fit into the bag and he didn’t have to come back again, and he had assumed luckily well. This cave made goosebumps even on his cold skin. Fortunately the boxes filled out the bag as much that he wondered to just fly away with it, but then he realised using North’s globe was much quicker.

  
Jack knotted the bag and let out a relieved sigh. He after all was happy to leave Pitch’s Lair behind in fine. He wasn’t aware of the Nightmare King’s whereabouts or where the Nightmare’s was keeping him captured but he hoped that place was far far away from him – or at least not much near to Jack’s current location. As he looked around he realised why this cave system was so eerie. Anyone would have believed the radiating came from that it was the Boogeyman’s place or that the Tooth fairies had been kept here in cages, but the explanation was none of those. It wasn’t the darkness here either. Pitch’s headquarter was empty. It was scary because it was echoing the void. For a slight moment Jack felt that it was sucking energy out of him, like he would have been falling to endlessness. Before he could have fainted, he grabbed the bag and flew out as fast as possible.

  
He almost reached the Tooth Palace when he realised the Wind had led him all along, he had been too scared to be aware of the way. Tooth was just finishing with the content of the previous pile of boxes when Jack landed next to her. The female Guardian jumped to him and eagerly opened the bag but before she could have started an other tale, she stopped. Jack was gazing to nothingness and tried to calm himself down but even Tooth could hear his heart pounding.

  
“Jack, what is it?” the winter spirit tightened the grab on his staff.

  
“It’s-- ”

  
“Did you see something?”

  
He immediately shook his head. He hadn’t seen anything and that was it, there had been literally nothing. Undoubtedly the Lair had been playing a trick with him, but then why was it so painful? Standing on the middle of the cave had been like being alone and Jack felt like he would have been again all alone, fading to oblivion without Jamie and the other kids. Now he got why that was Pitch’s place. The man was the centre of the Lair or the Lair was Pitch itself, Jack wondered. He didn’t know why but suddenly he felt apathy for that man. As the realisation reached his mind, it grabbed him out of the shock and noticed Tooth facing with him concerned.

  
“Are you all right?”

  
“Me? Yeah, sorry, I’ve just got tired.” he lied and grabbed the box out of Tooth’s hand “Mind if I finish the rest? It would be much quicker. And I’m sure you have many other things to do.”

  
Jack didn’t care much about Tooth’s reaction; he balanced five boxes within his hand and rushed to find their places. The Guardian of Memories looked to him worried but then flew away, maybe she felt too he needed some time alone. Jack gazed to the boxes, to the small figures and a familiar sound came to his mind. It was his sister’s and his memories, now, Jack would have doubted they have laughed together. He felt as if he was now the right opposite of the Guardian of Fun. Maybe he was tired just as he had told Tooth, but he was clear headed recognising the figure on one of the boxes. Jack turned around and as no fairy was near to him, he sank the box into his pocket.

\- - -

It was taking a few days to assemble what he should do. Then an other few needed mustering the courage to actually do that, but then on a nice day Jack decided he shouldn’t defer it any more. He took a deep breath and jumped into the hole.

  
The Lair seemed even more abandoned than earlier and Jack got a shiver about the whole idea but he didn’t stop. He knew it wasn’t just the place’s radiation that fear expanded the air, it was Pitch’s affect, the Nightmare King was here. Maybe the man wasn’t wholly himself right now, just a shadow under the bed - or even less - but he was still here. Even if the Nightmares that he had created against the Guardians and the children had turned against him, after all they were made of fear and Pitch was fear itself, he survived.

  
“I know it might be profane to you, but-- I thought maybe even you need something to hang on.” Jack explained all in a sudden as he found the kernel of the pulsating fear. The chamber on the end of the corridor seemed as if it would have incepted all the darkness from the world. Pitch was trapped inside.

  
Jack got out the Tooth Box from his hoodie’s pocket. “Tooth would kill me if she knew about it.” he was thinking aloud, but then he realised it felt like he would have talked to himself. The blackness in the chamber seemed massive. Jack could have been scared to death, he even felt his senses ringing in alarm, but he knew it was just the effect of the others presence there.

  
“Pitch? I know you there.” he gazed to the deep darkness, but silence remained. Jack wondered what he would have reacted if the other all in sudden would have said something. Now, it was right, for his sanity too that the Nightmare King was mute - or the man couldn’t even hear him. The other Guardians would have surely killed him for this. Or he even was laughed at by the Boogeyman too about this whole idea just he couldn’t know about it. For a moment Jack imagined the man would have mocked him for that. ‘Well, well, look who we got here. Isn’t it, Jack Frost? Where did you leave your beloved mates? Or your Guardians already became bored with you?’ Or you plucked the shortest and they sent _you_ to extend an olive branch? Pathetic.’

  
Jack almost missed the sarcastic tone. It would take time for the man to recover, maybe an other few centuries but a spirit couldn’t be killed, they just got weak. He could feel himself stronger since Jamie and his friends believed in him, and now he realised in the past he had been only the shadow of himself. Those times were a short time ago, but Jack could imagine now how desperate could the Guardians feel themselves as they had lost their believers. The children were protected by them and the children protected them. It was a synch from the beginning. Without believers a spirit was just an echo, lost in endless aloneness.

  
Jack crouched to the edge of the darkness and slowly slipped the box into it. He understood Pitch, maybe not his intentions but his wishes. They, spirits, after all, shared the same fear and Jack who just got on the other side saw it the most.

  
“I know I shouldn’t have seen it but I couldn’t control myself.” he confessed. “She is really nice.” Jack added “your daughter too.” then he stayed in silence, he didn’t know what else to say, should he have apologised he peeked into the man’s memories or--? But then Jack just stood up and grabbed his staff. If Pitch was there the man needed time on his own, just as Jack had needed to be alone with his memories.

  
For a moment the winter spirit was just standing there gazing to the massive darkness just as he would have waited for something to happen - even if he couldn’t tell what he was waiting for - but then he nodded and turned around. Just as quickly he had wished earlier to leave this place behind, now he was delaying to fly away. He took a few steps and freezed as some reasonable ideas came to his mind. The constant fear ceased to hunt him, he didn’t feel any more the ice cold breeze of warnings any more. It was scarier than sensing it during the whole time. The lack of it was abnormal here. Jack didn’t dare to turn around, he closed his eyes and focused on to concentrate, then as he opened in fine his eyes and determined to fly away he heard a faint noise. At first he thought he was just hallucinating, like a side effect of the previous impulse of fear, but then it became clear and he could make out what it was. Then again, he could hear it as clear as the owner would have been standing right behind him: _"Jack?"_


	2. Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They got an alarm, Tooth needs everyone to find out the case and what should they do...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I felt that it needed a bit of elaborating, so I decided I should write down the things what was in my head about the ending of the previous chapter. I spent a whole day thinking about the possibilities, so it seems guy, it won't be just one chapter. According to my plan, it will have 5 chapters. I have my notes for all of them - so hopefully it will be indeed finished (once). Right now, I feel with my current busy schedules (hell with the uni and working...), I'm uploading a new chapter every two weeks (it can be less, can be more, but I try to go with it).
> 
> (Note: a few chapters will be from other POVs to see the whole picture, but mainly I'm focusing on Jack)
> 
> (Note2: "the Wall of Memories" is my idea, I think Tooth might have a place for the boxes to keep similar like parchments are kept. I wonder if in the books there is a word for that...)

“You ain’t comin’?” Bunny asked Jack who was balancing with every step on a thicker branch murmuring something obsessively under his nose. It was enough that Bunny couldn’t find the spirit for days, but now the teenager was just behaving like he couldn’t hear Bunny at all. What a wanker! They had more serious things momentarily than counting how many steps it would take to reach one and the other end of the branch…

As still no answer came Bunny frustratedly formed a ball from the dirt (in the lack of snow), and threw the youngster with it, just on the right moment when the boy lifted one of his legs to the air. Normally there should have been snow just as usually the winter spirit’s attendance made snow appear where he was, but right now it needed some improvising if Bunny wanted to get the new Guardian’s attention. Much to his luck (and for the centuries practicing with the boomerangs), Bunny had good aim, the ball made a great hit and Jack lost his balance, falling off to the ground between the bushes.

“Hey!” came an exclaimed voice immediately.

“It’s not funny when someone’s doin’ with you, eh, mate?” Bunny jumped to the youngster and helped him up. “Now, you’re at least listenin’, Frost.”

“No, it’s always funny.” Jack corrected Bunny as he was rearing himself up, and getting out a few leaves from his snow-white hair. But then, the younger spirit seemingly realized what the other had said. “Did you just call me Frost?”

Bunny slightly smiled, but this time he didn’t want to get on their usual rally. Maybe Jack sensed too that right now it wasn’t just a simple occasion for a mocking meeting, he also got right to business. “What is it?”

“Tooth.” Bunny said seriously and tapped the ground; a hole right away appeared under his paw. “She says somethin’ is wrong with the Tooth Boxes. We better get a hurry.”

Jack took a hesitant step back. “I-- ”

“Come on,” grabbed Bunny the youngest Guardian by his shoulder, after all, they didn’t have time to be behindhand “if it is Pitch again I swear, he won’t miss just a bloody tooth this time.”

“Bunny, wait-- ” dwelled Jack again, but Bunny just jumped with him to the hole. Whatever Jack was intended to say, it could wait, he thought.

Just as fast they disappeared from Burgess, they bobbed up in the Tooth Palace. After all, traveling like that was the fastest, even North couldn’t question that. (Especially counting with that North’s globes could have been used by everyone - most of all could have been stolen accidentally by the smallest cutest ankle-biter in the world if someone wasn’t watching…) But this way, well, after all, only Bunny had “magic” paws.

As they arrived Bunny forthright was searching for Tooth, they couldn’t waste time if that was about indeed Pitch, as he presumed. But then a moving in his eye corner made him turn back. Jack was obviously marking if he would fit into the slowly narrowing bunny hole.

“What the heck are you doin’?” Bunny hauled the Guardian.

Jack seemingly winced by the voice. “I-- I have a few things to do.” Bunny raised his eyebrows suspiciously. There was something dodgy with the winter spirit, but Bunny yet couldn’t tell what was it, and it annoyed him more and more, minutes by minutes.

“In the middle of summer?” Jack marked him, visibly more determined now and with a face that told he was a bit affronted by the question.

“What do you think, how polar bears survive global warming?” Bunny opened his mouth, then closed. Well, at least, that explanation sounded reasonable.

“It can wait,” he said then.

“Oh, yeah? Tell it to the bears. They will _love_ it!”

“Guys, guys!” reached them just now Tooth in a hurry. She must have heard the whole discussion, and thought eftsoons to intervene before they, two would have started another of their famous common debates “If Jack has things to do…”

“Why are you defendin’ ’im?” crossed Bunny his fore-foot. This wanker was just dreaming if with Tooth's approval, he believed, could gone walkabout from the responsibilities!

“Jack…” she started, but before Tooth could have continued the winter spirit shook his head. It supposed to be invisible, but Bunny had the right eyes (and nose) to sense such mysteries. Those two were hiding something. He was on to bring it up to Tooth when a rough landing followed by cursing interrupted Bunny from the planned interrogation. Tooth happily flew up, catching the source of the noise.

“You all came! ” cheered the female Guardian. Bunny along with the unwillingly walking Jack followed her.

North got out from the slightly leaned sleigh and greeted them. "Of course we came," he said with a quick hug and then with a small patting woke the sleeping Sandman up on the back seat. Sandy slowly blinked a few and marked his surroundings. Blimey, he seemed knackered!

Bunny couldn’t have got surprised if the small man would have just sleepwalking by them. Sandy was never having a whinge about it, but after centuries it became clear he had peak times too. On summer the nights were shorter and Sandy had to be twice as fast to visit every child. Bunny silently wished for him that this urgent meeting wouldn’t last long and his friend could rest before and other night shift would come.

They slowly reached the enormous endless hall – as Tooth called it, the Wall of Memories – and Tooth flew to a part that seemed much dimmer and stopped them there. The shelf looked like as it would have been standing there for centuries. It was old and haunting. Bunny could tell it smelled from fading memories. They were standing at Tooth’s earliest collected boxes. This place made Bunny feeling cold under his fur. For a moment, he thought Jack was making the coldness just to play with him, but the winter spirit gazed to the floor. The winter spirit seemingly wasn’t frothing much to be here.

There was certainly something with him, Bunny realized, Jack should have been amazed by this place, just as he was when they had taken him to North’s Workshop. Jack was after all a child (well, an endless one), and every child wanted to know the secrets behind the myths. But right now, the winter spirit wasn’t behaving like it wouldn’t have concerned him, nah, he avoided to look to the shelves.

“I thought Pitch has the Tooth Boxes.” North pointed and Bunny turned his eyes from Jack to North. So, that was the eerie feeling that disturbed him!

“He did.” Tooth admitted embarrassedly and looked to the walls thoughtfully. “The memories inside are not just to help children remember. You see, these are the oldest ones. As they grow up, they still need their memories. Each box has its place, and each has to be returned. If people have their memories, they can’t let it go. It could haunt and affect their lives. We help them to remember, but it’s just a reminder if they need it, you see.” she described their purposes, but worriedly glimpsed to a certain part. “Our mission is to responsible for them, all of them and…”

North stepped closer to the winged Guardian. “Tooth, to issue.”

“Right, right, sorry.” she flew back to them and tried to concentrate. “A Tooth Box is missing.” Bunny immediately put together the pieces and looked to Jack, who just right at the same moment raised his head.

“I gave it back!” exclaimed the winter spirit against the charge.

“He really did.” Tooth confirmed it. And it was indeed the truth, but then…

“Whose’s missin’?” Tooth flew up to the top of the missing part and worriedly gazed at it. “Tooth, whose’s-- ?” Bunny tried again, but at first, the female Guardian was too high, he should have shouted and on the other hand, a constant jingling annoyed him as much that Bunny couldn’t concentrate (the curse of the long ears he was much sensible to high sounds). Since Sandy had realized he could get their attention by the elf’s bells, he was always keeping one of the little creatures’ pointy hats, just for sure.

“Sandy!” North got out in fine the high-pitched bell from the Sandman’s fingers. “What is it?” Sandy crossed his arms and pointed to the wall and showing above his head a small picture of Pitch. “We know Pitch had them,” North said as if Sandy would have told something already known, but as a question mark was formed by the dreamsand and Sandy pointed to the ground, it clogged together.

“If Pitch had them, how those are here now.” Bunny translated in shock and turned towards Tooth, who was flying back to them like she would have felt trouble in the air. Something was really etching with these boxes, he could tell.

“Tooth, how did you get boxes back?” North asked seriously as she landed next to them. “What did you do?” this was the tall man's strict voice what against even Buddy didn't have the guts to act.

“Well, I-- ” Tooth started and her face slowly turned to red, even it seemed unimaginable under his feathers. “I was just-- ”

“I did it!” Jack said suddenly and Tooth relieved a sigh, that felt she was holding it for such a time. So, that was that they had been hiding! – Bunny realized, just as that technically Jack didn’t say a word since they had arrived. That was why he had stayed rather in the background and tried to be out of vision. “She was afraid and I just wanted to help,” Jack explained, but North didn’t seem eased.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” North started. “What if Pitch-- ”

“I was quick as a bunny.”

“Oh, no,” Bunny was shaking his head. “you don’t make me part of this, mate. North is right.” he said and exceptionally he really did agreed with North. “You didn’ have to play hero.”

“Bunny is right. You should have told us. If it is Pitch, you don’t go on an alone mission. It’s in Rule 1. Tooth, you should have been more responsible.”

“It was really nothing, there wasn’t anyone and Pitch-- ” was Jack trying. “Pitch doesn’t mean danger anymore, we defeated him.” Bunny scoffed at the idea.

“Yeah, nah. You’re wrong here, Frost. He will be always a problem. Maybe not today or tomorrow but give him a few centuries and things will be again like in the Dark Ages, believe me, you don’t want to see that.”

For a moment they all stayed in silence, Bunny wondered if what he had just said was too strong but Jack had to learn and Tooth had to remember, crossing ways with Pitch wasn’t like playing with dice. They couldn’t trust in their luck.

“I-- ” Jack voiced but got stuck and instead of finishing it, he fixed his eyes on something, Sandy was looking at him with a question mark above his head. “I don’t understand.” the Sandman swept down a little sand from his hand and pointed to his own eyes then to Jack. “I’m not sleepy.” Sandy didn’t persist and rolled his eyes and repeated the question, but instead of the dreamsand part, he formed a mare above his head. “ _Fear?_ I’m not afraid.”

Bunny followed the whole, technically one-sided conversation and he strongly disagreed, it was declining. Jack was afraid. “That’s what I said; even Pitch’s Lair could cause harm. You were too much down there, and even if Pitch might be defeated now, fear got stuck on you.” was Bunny thinking aloud.

“What have I done?” Tooth cried out in realization.

“I’m not.” was Jack trying to convince them, but all he got was gross ears. Bunny didn’t want to point to the winter spirit that he could even hear the boy’s heart pounding. Usually, he couldn’t hear it, because the constant small ice-cracking what followed the new Guardian’s steps covered any other voices but now…

Bunny turned to Sandy, the man small had better eyes to everything and he could notice anything that they, others couldn’t. And Sandy right now was just as sussing about Jack like he was. There was something that they all didn’t notice, but what was it?

“Whose’s box is missin’?” Bunny asked Tooth remembering the unanswered question. “You know everyone whose tooth is here, then whose it is?” North just now realizing the missed fact, turned to her too.

“It’s-- it’s Pitch’s.” Blimey!

“He must have hidden his when he stole them.” North assumed. It was reasonable, Bunny could see too. He even didn’t want the others to see his memories, and when it was about Pitch, he was sure that creep had decided to keep his from Tooth and her fairies. For the Boogeyman, childhood memories could have been worked like weaknesses against his monstrous self, he didn’t want anyone to believe he had been something else, then the Nightmare King once.

“He should keep it if he wants it.” Bunny declared and albeit he wasn’t stoked with the idea, it seemed the most logical. And on the other hand not that Pitch would have been watching his memories back just as Tooth had said earlier. The man wasn’t from the ones whom a heartful picture would have affected and changed. The Boogeyman was after all now stuck in a dark corner alone for centuries, far away from his box anyway. “It will be right.”

Tooth silently nodded. Pitch was dangerous, it was better to let him keep it than hazarding to get the box to its rightful place. “Then it is decided,” Bunny stated as Tooth too agreed. “Case is closed, everyone can go home.” he tapped immediately on the ground. But most of them stayed motionless.

“What?” Sandy was glancing at him like he would have liked to escape from a bigger issue, but then it hit him. Even if they all had thought it was the big issue (and really that was why Tooth had called them), but there was something else. As Bunny faced with the Sandman forming from dreamsand a staff within his hands, nodding silently towards Jack, Bunny finally saw it. Jack was missing his staff. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”


	3. Believer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maths is scary but not as scary as a Guardian asking for help in a case that scares him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was scared from this chapter, more like I was scared if I had enough energy left writing it and not making it lame after the last week of the semester full of exams and with the deadline of my project task, but I made it (or I hope at least)! I have mixed feelings with this chapter (maybe just the tiredness is speaking from me and I haven’t yet relaxed enough after the last two weeks, who knows...), but I am - kinda - happy how it ended.  
> (Kinda spoiler-ish: the rest two chapters won't be from other POVs, I am finished with 'outer' visions :) )

It was far away from the evening, yet Jamie felt as his eyes were closing slowly. God, how he hated Maths! He wished that someone just could have somehow saved him from studying – or rather from Maths completely. But that wish was unimaginable, he was unfortunately well aware of that. He sighed resignedly and tried to focus on the question which he had started like an hour ago. God, that would feel like an eternity to finish the whole…

“All right, if _y_ is… then…” was Jamie thinking aloud gazing at the drawing like it would have told the solution if he was looking at it enough time “Oh, come on!” was he forcing it and tried to clear his mind and focusing only on the paper, closing every other thoughts out of his mind “…then _x_ is…”

Jamie almost, after an endless gazing could catch it, but a high click interrupted his thought process just before he could have got to the solution. He tried again. He was so close to see the missing number, just a little bit more, he kept telling himself to hang on… _click._ It sounded like something was knocking on the windows, he realized, then again, and another ‘click’ sound came. Stupid birds! He exclaimed and covered his ears to close the annoying sound out. He wished to be a bird, bored as much that knocking on a youngster's windows with his beak would be his only thing to do out of sheer boredom. He really needed that _x_!

Jamie once again concentrated on the question mark, the number behind it was nearly visible. If he truly focused enough on the paper, it would appear, he not just believed, he knew that. He tried not to blink if he would miss it, if looking away for a mere second, would have decided it. But then again, at the edge of his concentration, he heard the high sound again.

“Oh, come on!” he jumped frustratedly from his desk, pushing his chair back hard and stepped to the windows. He must have scared the birds, with the sound how harshly his chair landed on the floor. The windowsill, as he reached to it, was empty. Jamie snorted from the frustration that he couldn’t shout to them to knock off, but he, a bit, was satisfied how it turned out. He would at least have some peace from the bored birds for a little time before they could get their nerves again and return back. He relieved a sigh and got his rolly chair up, but then something in his eye corner moved right to the glass and hit it. _Click!_

Now, he really had enough! It hadn’t been the birds; he saw it now. Someone was doing it! Someone _on purpose_ tried to get his attention from understanding Maths! Who and how dared them!

He stepped back to the windows and furiously opened it, just on to tell from his heart what he thought about this whole ridiculous and childish behaviour. “Who do you think you are?! Someone here tries to-- ” but before he could have finished the sentence, he recognized a very familiar face standing in the middle of the garden, just on to throw an other small rock again towards the windows. “Jack?”

Jamie didn’t ask anything, just closed back the windows and grabbed a jacket from his wardrobe as fast as he could, just to take it on as he was rushing down the stairs.

“Mum, I’m going out!” he notified the situation halfway on getting on his shoes when his mother looked out from the kitchen.

“Jamie Bennet, you aren’t going anywhere until you finished your homework!” her voice wasn’t strict, but it always clearly told the situation. Jamie had to improvise quickly, counting with that he wasn’t really good at lying and on the other hand his mother could always detect a lie. He tried to stick to the truth as much as he could.

“I’ve got stuck on an example; a friend called he’ll help me,” Jamie said, taking on his other shoe now. He could feel the examining gaze of his mother’s on him. For a moment, he gave it up and was on to accept that he couldn’t go out, but then he realized technically, he wasn’t lying. He hoped his mum saw it too. Partly, the situation was just as he described it. He, overall, just skipped the part that the so-called friend helped him _from_ making the example. After a short silence, his mother turned back to the kitchen.

“All right, but came back to lunch,” she stated. “And I’m gonna check your homework then.”

“On it!” Jamie promised and before he could have visibly sighed with relief, or before his mum could have changed her mind, he ran out from the house as fast as he could.

Jack wasn’t in the garden, but Jamie knew where he could find him. Evidently, he was pretty sure either the newest Guardian would have liked to meet with him in plain sight, rather somewhere that was out of other people’s vision. Jamie headed right to the pond.

As he reached the trees, Jamie immediately saw Jack back to him, sitting on the ground thoughtfully.

“You know, you just saved me.” he greeted the spirit thankfully.

“Did I?” turned Jack towards him, standing up.

“Yeah, from a monster called Maths.” he detailed rolling his eyes, Jack crossed his eyebrow confused.

“I haven’t heard any monster called Maths.” Jamie chuckled from the thought, and a little bit shivered from the idea if there was indeed any monster called Maths – that would have explained a few things then...

“No, it’s a-- it’s a school thing.” he laughed, shaking his head and suddenly hugging the spirit tight “I missed you, Jack” the Guardian froze from unexpected movement, but then embraced him back too.

“I missed you too, kid,” Jack mumbled truly.

Maybe it was the season, but Jamie felt the spirit much warmer than in the spring. It must have been that during that time he had been covered by a thick coat and couldn’t feel just now the heat of the Guardian. As this idea came to his mind, he realized it was summer now. Not that he would have minded, that Jack was here, but summer was clearly not a winter spirit’s natural season. Jamie released him.

“Jack… why are you here?”

Jack ran a hand embarrassedly through his snow-white hair. “I thought I should say hi to a friend.”

Maybe detecting lies was an inheriting gene, because Jamie eftsoons realized it was a lie. The fear and despair were visible in Jack’s eyes. It must have been really serious if the spirit whom with Jamie had defeated fear earlier, was scared.

Jack started to walk up and down groaning constantly and shaking his head, but then after a few minutes, the spirit took a deep breath and sat down. “I-- I need your help, Jamie.” the icy blue eyes were clearly begging for help “I got into a situation and I don’t know what to do,” Jack muttered under his nose, seemingly giving up, resting his snow-white head on his knees in total hopelessness.

“Is it a Guardian-thing?” Jamie asked, taking place beside the spirit.

Jack raised and shook his head, but then corrected himself. “Well, it’s kinda-- but not related to being a Guardian, I mean it is connected but not really, but it would connect if you-- but it’s not really in real, but it is if you look from that way-- so it’s…”

“Jack, you are not making any sense!”

“I know!” cried out the spirit, and jumped up in frustration, kicking the grass with his bare feet. Then Jack took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm himself down. Jamie was worried if Jack was losing his mind. Seeing the spirit like that, struggling and afraid and at wit’s end, was just too much to comprehend.

For a moment the Guardian was gazing to nothingness, but then Jack started to talk with a really tired voice. “I lied to them. To North, Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy. They asked what happened but I just couldn’t tell the truth.”

With the sentence Jamie realized what was so odd about Jack, he was in deed warmer as he had hugged him and Jack was here nearly in the middle of the summer and Jack had been _standing_ in their garden, not floating or flying and the air wasn’t colder nearby him either right now, frostbites weren’t formed under his steps and he was… Jack right now looked like he wouldn’t have been the embodiment of winter at all, like he would have been the lack of his magic powers or something.

“What happened?” Jamie asked in shock.

Jack stayed in silence, Jamie was worried if the spirit (or ex-spirit if his conclusions were good) would have at all answered his question but then, Jack sighed. “I don’t know if I should tell you. I mean I don’t want to scare you or anything, but…”

“I’m your friend, Jack” for a moment Jamie felt like he would have been the older, giving advice to a smaller one, but he put away the feeling, it was weird “friends always help each other even if it hurts” Yeah, and Jamie really wanted to know what happened, no matter how scary it was.

“You hope so?” a little sparkle shined in the icy blue eyes.

Jami cackled softly on a memory that suddenly appeared in his mind. “Not really, once I told Claude after P.E. he smelled like a rat. He wasn’t speaking to me for an entire month!”

“So, you say, I shouldn’t tell Bunny if he stinks, got it.” Jack smiled at the idea. 

Jamie couldn’t do anything but laugh, it was stupid and Jack’s face immediately turned back to bitter after a wide grin, but at least for a slight moment, Jamie could distract the spirit’s mind. And the nonsense made the ice break, Jack seemingly felt his thoughts less heavy than before.

“I-- I’m helping someone. Someone whom I shouldn’t.” Jack confessed.

“It’s not bad to help.”

“Believe me, in this case, it is.” whispered the spirit the words barely audible.

“So, that’s why you are afraid.” Jamie pointed. The Guardian suddenly was gazing at him to be right on to deny the whole, but then Jack agreed, completely resignedly taking seat again on the ground.

“I think yes. I mean as, I’m not afraid of it, I more like afraid of failing to help, you know. They don’t know about it and I’m worried what they would think if they know about it somehow and then… I don’t know what to do then. I’m worried if I made a mistake and it would be my fault if something happens, but I think that’s not what I am truly afraid of. I am rather afraid of failing to help, I think.”

Jamie couldn’t know what to tell. All things considered, Jack was a Guardian, and he was just a kid, but Jack came to him for advice. He forced himself to say something logical, to remove the spirit’s doubts, but Jack cut him in the middle of his thoughts.

“It’s Pitch.”

Jamie gazed to the ground like he would have heard it wrong or the note would have never happened. He stayed – just as Jack – in dead silence for a few minutes. He couldn’t know what to say. His mind was empty. Had Jack really said that? Jamie shook his head. No, that couldn’t be. Or _could it?_ But after he glimpsed to the winter spirit, Jack seemed lost, hopeless, afraid, and helpless. Then it hit him. He had to say something. It didn’t count if that was Pitch, Jack came here for help, for advice from a friend. Jack really was worried about it, and he, Jamie, as a friend, he had to help.

“I’m not afraid of him,” Jamie said then and in mind, he immediately wanted to slap himself. That wasn’t the best note to add really. But somehow, Jamie felt that he was just trying to convince himself, saying it loud. A bit, it worked, he felt it was truly the situation, he wasn’t afraid of that man.

“I know” Jack nodded “and I even know, first hand, right now, he couldn’t hurt anyone.” the spirit added with a sad tone. “Or for a while. He is trapped and…”

As Jamie was looking at the spirit, he realized Jack was concerned. Maybe Jamie couldn’t understand everything, just as being a Guardian was way above comprehending, but he was sure, Jack cared. It was really hard to believe, but Jamie did it, and a part of him agreed with Jack – even if it was really tough to accept. He tried to subtract the fact from the equation that it was Pitch whom they were talking about. (Subtracting? Equation? Did he really think that? Maybe he was starting to understand Maths in fine, Jamie noticed.)

“I think-- I think it’s worth a shot.” Jamie breathed then shyly, on to sound convincingly. “It is better if you tried and failed, then not trying it at all. I think if the other Guardians find out, they would understand that you tried to help. Trying to help isn’t a bad thing after all.” he said, and suddenly thousands of questions filled his mind. What had exactly Jack meant under helping? Why would have the Boogeyman needed help anyway? What if… He opened his mouth to ask something, but Jack smiled and looked at him.

“Did you know I had a sister?” the random question, that didn’t fit at all to the conversation, surprised Jamie and he immediately forgot the thousands of things he wanted to ask. Jack then was just talking about old-new memories and after a while, Jamie kinda couldn’t tell why they were there or what they had been talking about previously.

* * *

Jamie seemed happy, as he waved goodbye and Jack waved back letting the kid go to be on time for lunch. The kid was now rushing home without any disturbing thoughts, only thinking about the curious case of Jack’s earlier life. Jack didn’t want to worry the kid much. Coming up out of nowhere with the memory of his late family seemed a really good idea. He managed to distract the boy’s mind and definitely, he didn’t want Jamie to worry much or be afraid. One person being afraid was far enough.

Jack got up and took a deep breath. In one thing, Jamie was right, trying to help wasn’t a bad thing. Not that anyone else would have dared to go down to Pitch’s Lair. Jack lied to them, and slowly he had enough of lying. He didn’t want the Guardians to worry, that was for sure, so he had to handle this on his own to convince them that there was nothing they should have been troubled about.

They hadn’t been down there, no one ever had been. They hadn’t felt what Jack had felt and they couldn’t see what he had seen, the mass of darkness, and they couldn’t understand it, the loss, the endlessness, and the hopelessness, all filling the place. For a moment Jack felt just as Pitch could have felt, ready to fight anything to get rid of those haunting feelings. He wondered if he could turn just like Pitch was seen by everybody if he had been consumed by those influences for centuries, just like Pitch was. He was sure, undoubtedly, it could have occurred. By that thought, Jack realized if someone ever tried to help Pitch, it was only him. Upon the whole, who would have thought ever that the Boogeyman was more than just a shadow under the beds. He had to try.

He was surprised that the idea didn't frighten him at all, it rather strengthened him to actually do it and at the end be succeeded. Jack was determined now: he would help Pitch get out of that prison!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really a side note: I love Maths. Really, no kidding, I love Maths! Weird fact: I, for a while (and still a bit), would have liked to be a Maths teacher, I just don’t like interacting much and well, for a teacher, it is hard to teach without that. And a scary note: I almost graduated as a Mathematical Analyst (yes, I am that old), I just never reached to get a degree. Now, I am instead studying Economics. (What a change!) I still miss studying Maths, maybe once I'll go back to finish my studies there. (Sorry, too much personal detail, I just really like talking about Maths and my connection to it)


	4. Center

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The curious case of Jack's missing staff a.k.a. Sandy is the cause of an old, endless debate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, my dears! I know this year was suck, but I hope at least this time everyone could rest a little :)

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Bunny cried out unbelievably.

North crossed his hands, with a severe look on his face. “Jack, where is your staff?” his tone was kind against how he had behaved earlier with Tooth. It sounded like he would have been asked a child after a missing pie, well aware of what happened, but still wanting to know it from the person first hand. Well, after all, Jack was sure North would be with time just as hard with him as he had been with Tooth, it was just a kind start this time as Jack being the new one in the group.

“I- I kinda _lost it_?” it sounded more like a question than an explanation. In the corner of Jack’s eyes, Bunny almost fainted. And he tried to close out Tooth’s scared cry. Sandy was staring at the Guardians then to Jack, constantly switching his head between the two sides. The dream-guardian seemed quiet and didn’t say anything like he would have been thinking. Knowing Sandy without words was brighter than the others all together, Jack was worried, the small man was already suspecting what had happened. Before Jack could have marked the dream-spirit enough and became sure about it, that Sandy was seeing through him, Bunny interrupted him in the middle.

“How could you- how could you ‘lost it’?” Jack could take ten to one if he would have said anything else, Bunny would have exploded from stress. “I can’t believe it! How could you be this irresponsible? Seriously?!” for a moment Jack thought Bunny was right, but the furry guardian, after all, hadn’t been there and couldn’t understand… and suddenly an idea formed in Jack, just at the same moment, North took a hand on the tallest guardian’s shoulder to calm Bunny down before the Guardian of Hope could have continued his technically well-founded, reasonable freaking out.

“Jack, what happened?”

Okay, so they were furious and worried about getting back the Tooth Boxes, and he needed something to go back somehow, to Burgess and _even_ \-- so… it wasn’t felt good, but he had to do it, he hated lying to them, but he had no other choice. And anyways that was the first time and Jack promised himself, he wouldn’t do it again. He hoped that as soon as all would be done, and settled, they would understand why he had said what he was on to say now.

* * *

Right now, gazing to the sky, he could almost recall the memory, word to word – albeit it felt like that had happened ages ago. Though, in real, that was like a few days earlier. Jack was wondering about a question in the past days quite much, what if-- what if the Moon, or more like the Man in Moon, had chosen him not to help the Guardians defeat Pitch, but rather to help the shadow-man? MiM was after all ancient, he had chosen them all, and he could have seen everything, he could have known more things about them than they, Guardians, knew about each other or even about themselves. He had seen Jack before he had become Jack Frost and… Jack was sure the Man in Moon had seen Pitch before he had become Pitch Black too. After all, North had been right, they all had more layers than they had seen they had. Just as Pitch.

Jack took the – _legally_ – borrowed snow-globe out of his pocket and gazed to it like it would have told where he should go. He was thinking about Jamie’s words the whole day. ‘Friends always help each other’ – well, Pitch wasn’t a friend, but if he examined it, the man wasn’t an enemy either. They all were just spirits, guardians over something. And technically, Jack didn’t know much the Guardians either to call them friends yet. But that detail in real didn’t count. He tried to come up with excuses to avoid the plan of what he thought he should do, but after hours, he couldn’t come up with a reason why not. And on the other hand, he was right that no one else could have dared to take that step. The more he was thinking about it, the more he was seeing only he could understand Pitch. And he had seen the man’s memories. It was just a flash, but the so-called Nightmare King had had a daughter and a wife, and they had been happy. Jack wondered what had happened with them and why Pitch became Pitch, counting with that the reason must have been connected to the memory. Jack was afraid of knowing the truth – and after all, it was fear. ‘Fun’ had turned him, because fun had led him on his last memory, so 'fear' had to be the kernel of it for Pitch. And it mustn’t have been a good omen.

Jack tried to get over that fact and concentrated on the snow-globe. He remembered as he had said, in the lack of his staff, he had needed a free ride, Bunny had tapped on the ground immediately and had jumped into the bunny-hole, laughing ‘in your dreams, mate’. Well, Jack understood Bunny had been just pissed off by the staff-situation. So then North had got out a globe from his coat’s pocket, warning Jack to take care of it, because ‘they tend to disappear lately’. Jack hadn’t wanted to point that he had been knowing what the Guardian of Wonder had been talking about. It was quite funny, North had assumed, one of his Jetis had stolen a snow-globe for a few days to ‘play two sides’ and at the same time creating toys in the North Pole and painting eggs for Bunny. If Jack hadn’t been distressed by the whole lying, and consumed by the guilt, he would have laughed at the idea. Sandy had been just eyeing him as Jack had accepted the globe.

As a golden shine mirrored in the globe now, Jack looked up, Sandy’s dreams filled the dark sky. Jack was always happy seeing the small man in work, knowing the Guardian of Dreams was sending everyone a peaceful night, without nightmares and-- Jack jumped up, almost again managing to fall off the tree (he really should keep in mind avoiding to climb on trees before he would get back his staff). He knew now what he should do. And on the other hand, he hadn’t been ever in Sandy’s place, he was curious how it would look like. Jack shook the globe and murmured the destination, just at the same time as the golden tendrils were starting to disappear.

As Jack disappeared from Burgess and appeared wherever he was, he gladly realized the touch of wind on his skin, it was like coming home feeling the breeze again, but then… he recalled when had he felt the cold sensation last time. It, now, wasn’t the Wind, it was wind, but not as his ally, _he was falling!_

“Oh, sh-!” he breathed out, but before he could have started to curse about his poor memory and that he again forgot that he was lack of his staff now, something in a sudden snatched him, with a hand of an amorph golden tendril. It slowly descended with him to a much solid surface. As Jack’s bare feet touched a golden (somehow stable) ground he was facing with a very surprised dream-spirit. “Hey, Sandy, nice catch!”

Sandy mixed a cacophony of flashes above his head about the whole falling and how lucky Jack was that he was there – or as Jack could catch some of the signs that were the main of the baffling mass, filling with some really tough signs that Jack felt lucky he couldn’t understand. Then the golden man cleared the signs and after that, just a question mark was seen above his head floating alone.

“I need your help,” Jack confessed. As Sandy studied him, he came along. “In an other thing, anyway, thanks again, catching me.” Sandy waved like it would have been nothing, and formed a sand-staff, pointing to Jack “I know, I know, I’m working on that right now. Next time I won’t come here without that.” Sandy was just marking him, with a look ‘we both know that won’t happen’. “I promise,” Jack said. It seemed the small man believed him, and after that Sandy showed a way.

As Jack followed him, he could in fine examine the place, it was all made of sand, and it seemed like an island formed completely with every inch from dream-sand. Jack wondered as Sandy was hovering beside him, and he was taking steps, how he could have walked on the sand without falling through, but the reason immediately came to his mind: Sandy was making it possible for him. The small guardian made the sand solid under his every step. Jack felt he should have said thank for it too, but the Sandman was behaving as it was really nothing. Then as they reached a seemed-as center, the dream-spirit stopped. Jack almost stepped into him.

“Sorry,” he said, but Sandy looked absent-minded and not realizing it at all. The Guardian of Dreams tapped on an overhang of sand with his hand and under the touch it formed into a smaller Bunny, sleeping peacefully. Sandy glimpsed mischievous to Jack with a small smile and moved his fingers. Over the head of the sand-Bunny appeared an Easter-egg dancing with its little limbs and then… a tiny Christmas-tree joined to it, and the two forms soon turned into Bunny and North, still dancing. The sand-Bunny straightaway snapped his eyes, shaking himself from the incredible, traumatic dream.

It wasn’t audible, but Sandy was clearly roaring, holding his stomach from the laugh. “Oh, that was cheap,” Jack noted, cracking a smile too. “I didn’t know you can be like that.” Sandy just raised his hands, meaning with time everyone could find fun messing with the others. Jack could only agree. “So, that’s how you spend your time, I see,” he added, Sandy just waved in the air. “I wonder how much they could thank to you, that they can’t stand each other.” Jack gazed to the Sandman, who opened his mouth but then closed, caught defeated.

“I won’t tell them, okay? Let’s make a deal instead.” a question marked was formed above the small man’s head. Jack felt it was high time to get to business (however he would have definitely enjoyed more time messing with the other Guardians' dreams too, but poorly that wasn't the best time for it to do, maybe next time, he promised himself).

“I need some of your sands.” Jack said then. Sandy suspiciously crossed his arms and peered at Jack, just the same way as he had been marking the winter-spirit a few days ago when they had realized Jack was missing his staff. And on the other hand, Jack knew, Sandy was suspecting something that time and…

“It’s about a nightmare.” before he could have realized whom he was talking to, Jack immediately corrected himself. “I mean as Pitch is not here anymore, fear is uncontrolled and I am afraid that soon, you know-- not that the Nightmares would return or anything, just, you know, who knows what happens if fear is got uncontrolled in the long run.” As Jack was saying the made-up reason, he awoke to that it wasn’t nonsense at all. If fear was Pitch’s center (he seriously doubted it) then what would happen if the Boogeyman couldn’t take control over that any more? Jack realized if that was the situation then Pitch’s role was even bigger in this than he could have earlier assumed. Sandy was quiet, the small man was thinking, floating a bit up and down in the meantime.

“Please, it’s really important, I am not saying that--” but then, after a few minutes, Sandy gently touched his hand. Jack stared at him. The Sandman nodded, it seemed as an approval, and something tingling moved under the golden guardian’s touch. Then the small man was looking right into Jack’s eyes and folded the winter spirit’s fingers, with a palm of dream-sand.

Jack was gazing at his hand, blankly, he couldn’t know what to tell. Sandy wasn’t questioning the reason – _was he knowing it?_ But then again, Sandy faced him seriously. The Guardian of Dreams pointed to himself, formed an eye over his head with a cross, and showed the shadow-man from the dream-sand sleeping, then the sand changed its form to Jack who was stepping inside a beartrap. Sandy looked concerned and once again touched tight Jack’s folded hand, shaking it a bit.

Jack couldn’t know what to tell. He could easily translate Sandy’s message. The dream-spirit was worried he might be walking straight into a trap and-- Jack couldn’t really understand the first part. Did that suppose to mean, Sandy couldn’t see Pitch’s dreams? After all, Pitch was the ruler over the nightmares, surely he and Sandy were on opposite sides and couldn’t reach each other, albeit their powers were very much alike, like pieces of a puzzle, or more like the two side of the same puzzle-piece. Jack seriously could imagine anything.

Sandy grabbed his hand after Jack murmured a surprised ‘thanks’. The Sandman stayed in quite for a moment, but then modeled the same as before with the crossed eyes and Pitch, but added now a little girl holding hands with the Nightmare King, turning the child into a woman and showing the same signs in the same order with her. Jack froze. _Did that mean…?_

“You-- you can’t see Pitch’s dreams and neither… _hers_ ?” he asked, Sandy nodded. But why would the small man expose her dreams, if-- didn’t she supposed to be _dead_ ? Jack bit his lips, that was harsh, but Pitch was older than each of them, so… Jack really didn’t like thinking about his late family either, and about the fact they had been dead for centuries far, far away that he could reach them, but… Sandy’s eyes were full of care and sadness and… _Wait!_

“Is she _alive_ ?” Sandy was thinking for a moment, visibly dwelled about what he was supposed to say, but then the small man nodded. “Is she alive?! _How?_ ” the Guardian of Dreams pointed to himself then Jack and raised his head up to the sky – or more like towards the Moon. “She is like us.” Jack put together, whispering the words. Sandy described a very old tale: the small figure of a young girl disappeared from a man’s side, and later a grown-up version of her met with the Sandman who asked about her family, but she didn’t want to speak about it. With time, they, two became friends. Sandy after the short summary, grabbed again Jack’s hand that was holding the dream-sand and formed above his head two figures, a woman and Pitch, slowly moving towards each other.

“You think I can get them along.” Jack translated; Sandy coincidently was shaking his head. Not even Sandy was cognizant of this whole, but the small man also was thinking a step ahead and not about just helping the Nightmare King, but also... “Since when are you knowing it?” Jack questioned him. Sandy didn’t say anything. The small guardian was knowing – or hoping – it for a long time enough, it was clear or he was just on the same opinion about Pitch as Jack was.

“Thank you,” Jack said again and got the snow-globe out of his pocket with his empty hand. Sandy wished him luck with portraying a four-leaf clover above his head. Jack was well aware of what to do, or at least he had now the tool for it.

* * *

The end of that damn corridor was just like earlier, dark and massive and endless, just as he left the Lair the last time. Jack surprisedly realized his staff was there too like nothing would have happened since his previous attendance. He right off wanted to grab the now almost completely black and dead staff, his nerves were painfully begging to hold it again, but he hardly managed to collect himself and took control over his aching pleas. Jack rather let the staff on the ground. Somehow without his powers and magic, he felt he could feel better Pitch or his senses at least in this state was rather alive to be in synch with this place. After the whole, it sounded and felt ridiculous that he had dropped it in fear and rushed out of this place out of his wits as he had heard the faint voice calling his name.

Jack tried to crouch to the ground without touching his staff, but also near to it – whatever could happen, after all, he noted to himself by a hollow memory when the Nightmare King had been still a vicious problem and could do anything. Right now it was hardly imaginable. And from that realization, he broke down – like missing the Boogeyman would have caused sorrow, though...

Jack slightly glimpsed to the impassable wall of darkness, it was like nothing changed. He couldn’t know what to do, to make a change, but then as he pressed his head to the cold wall in hopelessness, his fist started to shine. He almost jumped in the scare, but then remembered he was holding some dream-sand within his fingers. He wasn’t sure it would work or how much effect it would cause, but it clearly worthed a try.

Jack opened slowly and carefully his hand, avoiding letting a bit of sand slipping out from his palm. The dream-sand was still, it seemed in his hand as simple as sand from the desert. He remembered it worked like the Nightmares and he remembered that those were formed by corrupted dream-sand and could kill Sandy… – maybe it was a wrong idea, after all, something told Jack from the back of his mind, but then he raised his hand and blow the sand to the whirling dark mass before he could have changed his mind. As the darkness slowly turned golden in parts where the dream-sand affected it, Jack put his hand on it. Whatever happens, he murmured himself, letting the dream (or nightmare) completely yield over his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am planning to upload the last chapter too within a few days (depends on how much I will be engaged by my family during the next days). I have a little break at the uni and took the holidays off from work, so I had some time write the 4th&5th at the same sitting - only the last checks are ahead for the final chapter -, this time you don't need to wait two weeks for the next update and anyways, consider it as a Christmas present or a last farewell from this 'amazing' year.


	5. Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The only thing is left to come to get the two along and hoping in the best...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, here it is, enjoy!

It was hopeless, he didn’t want to give up. Jack was walking up and down on the branch, holding crossed his staff on his shoulders, thinking about a solution – if there was any. There had to be. He knew who Pitch was, he knew what was his secret and he knew his center was fear in deed – but not as they had earlier thought.

He could now connect the dots. Pitch would be forever trapped inside that hold, and without him the fear would be uncontrollable. And fear was already slipping out from that black mass, people started to worry about things that weren't real (something connected to an unfinished calendar, and the ending of the world, if Jack could recall the latest foolish idea) and... Pitch also played a significant part of the world, he was a Guardian too, not as they were, but definitely a guardian too. Jack gazed to the Moon; he was sure MiM knew about the whole. And right now, albeit he wasn’t speaking right to him (or ever), Jack could understand the Man in Moon helped him on his way to succeed.

The only problem was Jack couldn’t tell how to get the two together. Bunny had said she was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. So, she could have been next to him and away too. Jack for a moment wondered if she existed at all. But then as he nearly slipped from the branch, he realised: he could form by his every step ice on the tree but soon it melted by the warm weather. It was summer after all and he was a winter spirit, naturally he should have been away already and working on a much colder place. Especially counting with that he had now again his staff, and also he managed to get along with the Wind again after he had blamed her for missing his staff. (It had seemed a much easier lie telling the Guardians that the Wind had grabbed it from him avoiding to go back forTooth's missing box than telling the truth that he had stolen the Nightmare King's Tooth Box and had gave it to the man and inside the Lair he had lost his staff under the nose of their so-called enemy).

Naturally he should have been already away from Burgess, but something was holding him back, and he exactly knew what was it: he still had a one-guardian mission to finish, every other obligation now had to wait. _Naturally…_ was he thinking, but then it clogged together. He suddenly jumped up and flew between the clouds.

“Hey, Wind, wanna have some fun?”

And the next morning Jack determined to make Burgess wake up to the biggest snowfall in its history. (And after all, he missed his magic so much, he had to test he had all his powers back again…)

* * *

As Jack was waiting patiently and admiring his work, which covered both the ground and roofs in at least two feet snow, just as it was supposed to be in winter, he smiled at a memory with Bunny. If the furry Guardian had seen it now, he surely would have got a heart attack, recalling again the blizzard in ’68. That assumption made a smile on his face, just as that technically Jack could thank this idea to his furry friend. _Oh, he would definitely love it!_

“Mother Nature?” Bunny had stopped when Jack had asked him about the yet unknown spirit a few days ago. “Jack, she is even worse than Pitch. Why do you want to know about her?” Jack had wanted to talk about it but he hadn’t had much time to reveal his plan. Bunny thoughtfully had scratched his ears with his back foot. Jack had really tried not to think about the flash of the dream that Sandy had shown him. If Bunny had known about it...

“You know, spirit of winter, spirit of nature… have some business discussion.” Bunny had seemed as Jack hadn’t managed to get him with the explanation, instead the tall spirit had pointed to the winter spirit's hand.

“I see you got your staff back. Then don’t you have some things to do in Antarctica? Your furry friends must miss you there…”

“I have just one furry friend.” Jack had tried to get Bunny on his weak spot, playing with the other guardian’s kind heart, resting his chin on his staff, doing the 'cow-eyes' with a mischievous grin “Come on, Bunny. Or you want to say I should ask North about it?” it had been a cheap move, but it had always worked. Bunny had unwillingly sighed.

“Right.” he had come along then, bitterly, messaging his nose in annoyance, knowing Jack wouldn’t give up soon the case, and he had been right.

“Where can I find her?”

“Right into the middle, eh, mate?” Bunny had chuckled, if he had known why it was so important…

“Where?”

“Everywhere and nowhere.” had the other guardian give the detailed information.

“Well, it really narrows the options, thanks...”

“Jack, she is cruel and unpredictable, and…”

“Even worse than Pitch, I know, I know, but nature has beauty you know.” and yet… Jack was ruining that beaty right now forcefully with creating winter in a supposed-to-be summer season, just to get one’s attention.Yeah, tell me about unpredictability, Jack smiled at the thought.

She appeared just on time before anyone could have woken up, even before a slight sunrise could have appeared on the horizon. She silently was working with a wave of her hand. By the motion the snow melted and the water dried making the grass beneath lively and shiny again. Maybe she was furious under her tranquil figures – after all what serious spirit had thought it would be a great idea creating winter in the middle of summer?

It was known season-spirits had debates constantly, arguing over and over again when one season ended and an other started, but it was this time way more than just a little prank. This time she had to step in. Jack was watching her from the distance. From his tree he could see her moving and working in the town. She was beautiful. He had just seen her in Pitch’s memories as a child. But yet, he could see the little girl inside her and a bit Pitch too.

Then suddenly she turned towards him. Jack doubted she could spot him from that distance, yet, he bent down a bit, like catching on stalking someone. Before Jack could have said anything, she stroked her cloak and with a small wind all the snow liquified and slipped inside the ground. There was nothing then that could have reminded anyone of the snow. All his whole night work was gone in a mere second. It was just a slight lazy movement and she turned everything back as it had been before – or as if it should have been naturally.

Jack realised if it took her like a minute, it had been pointless, just a child’s tantrum in her eyes. He almost slapped himself by the thought he had been thinking with it he could have got her attention. After all, what a little blizzard could have meant against nature's unpredictable history? And she also all at once disappeared from his vision. So, he was right, it was pointless, just a naïve thought. A little wind blew him down from the tree and landed Jack on the ground, he felt as if it was comforting him for the failed try.

“I know, I know.” he agreed with the Wind, but instead of the Wind, as his feet touched the ground and looked up, he was facing her.

“Hello, Jack Frost.”

For a long moment he was just gazing at her blankly, gasping for air from the surprise. He suddenly couldn’t know what to say. She was ancient, and after all _Mother Nature_ itself.

“I…” he tried, but then as he was looking her up to down: her long dark hair, tall slim features and bright skin – it reminded him that not just Mother Nature was standing in front of him, marking him with a kind smile, but also Pitch’s daughter.

“You are Emily Jane, right?” it slipped out out of blue without a second thought.

The spirit was looking at him like he would have talked in another language, blinking a few, but then she slowly realised what Jack had said. Probably she hadn’t heard that name for a long, long time.

“I was. Once.” she said nostalgically. The tone was sad just as Sandy’s when the small man had been talking about her. The hidden emotion reminded Jack of the issue, why she was here and for what reason he had called her here.

“You are Pitch’s daughter.” Jack pointed; her figures turned to anger in a flash.

“I have nothing to do with him.” she stated snapping the words and immediately turned away, but Jack grabbed her hand before she could have disappeared to nothing. He tried to get over the fact that he was holding _her_ back, the ruler of all nature, and after all the _Boogeyman's_ daughter. He couldn't know which one was scarier, but he rather tried to focus on the mission. One step away from reaching the aim nothing could have scared him.

“Right, but you don’t know how he became Pitch, right? And what did he do that he became Pitch Black?” it got her attention, her wide eyes looked to him confused. “Come with me.” he insisted.

It was silent, walking there. Sometimes Jack wondered why both he and Pitch were so near to each other, placing in the same town, but rather he didn’t take that question, in part he already knew the answer. She was quiet during the way, Jack suspected she was recalling some memories – if she even remembered those old times at all. But then, as they arrived, she didn’t ask about the place, that it was haunted and dark and echoing and… _lonely_.

Jack just led her through the black corridor with the whispers. He had already gotten used to it. It was frightening the first few times, hearing the disturbing voices enlightening the fear of the present ones, mirroring the fear and trying to catch the weakest point. Jack had thought it had been his scared feelings connecting to this place but soon he had realised those had been the fearlings, slipping out from the cage. And those had been consumed on Pitch and reflecting the man’s fear. As he had got back his staff, he had noticed it. He had snapped back to those thoughts with reasonable explanations and then he had found out he had heard them even if he had determined to help no matter what.

She was moving her head, trying to catch the source of the sounds. Without voicing the question, Jack answered it. “It’s hard to explain, the more you can close out, the less you hear. Believe me, ignoring them is the best. I know it’s hard, but try to focus. Those are not your fears, just the fearlings.”

“Whose fears then?” Jack rather felt better ignoring the question, and led her right to Pitch’s current place. She stopped right at the dark slowly moving wall. He wasn't sure if he should have answered everything to her and she would have believed him, it was much easier to show it.

“What is it?” was she touching the black mass curiously, a bit dark dust got stuck on her fingers. “Isn’t it the Sandman’s dream-sand? Then why is it _black_?”

“Pitch infected the dream-sand with fear and created a horde of Nightmares...” Jack started the explanation, but stopped himself on telling the whole tale. “But that’s an other story. He is trapped inside right now” consumed by his own fear – he added to himself, not voicing it rather to her aloud.

Jack was well aware she couldn't understand anything from this at all, maybe she had some theories, but those were certainly far away from the reality. By that the whirling dark wall Jack got her attention, he could now tell her everything from the beginning - or at least the parts that she deserved to know. And a significant part was easier to show her and see with her own eyes.

Jack got out his hand from his hoodie's pocket, holding carefully some dream-sand within his fingers. "Sandy told me about you, and… when I asked his help he gave me some sand. I saw Pitch's dreams. I mean… rather his _nightmares_. It showed me how he became Pitch Black and… I already saw you in one of his memories."

Jack looked for a moment to the less and less interested spirit, he knew from the dream-guardian that she had an issue about her father, so he rather felt summarizing the necessary information. "It was Sandy's idea, finding you. I'm not telling… _well…_ " Jack sighed tiredly, he knew he was at the edge of her patience. "Listen, I understand, but just give it a try, just a chance, then you can go on your merry way and I won't bother you with it ever."

It seemed the last note took its impact, she relucantly nodded. "One try. And no other tricks any more, Jack Frost." Jack slightly smiled on the déja vu, it felt like he was hearing Pitch by that tone. But he promised her to let it go if it wouldn't work. (And he already knew it would.) Jack blew the sand to the slowly moving wall and took a step back as she was touching the golden parts.

He knew what she saw, and what the dream-sands mixed with the fear and the inside trapped one's memories showed her. Jack still got the shiver from the picture. The echoes within the dark walls, that prison capturing the Fearlings, the mimicked sound of a desperate little girl and then… those creatures… Pitch wasn’t chosen, he had been used and by that he then had become Pitch Black and controlled the Fearlings within him.

After a very long minute, the golden parts disappeared from the wall and the whole turned back to complete blackness. She released the whirling mass. For a long moment there was nothing just dead silence. Jack wondered if he should have said anything, maybe a sorry for bringing up the memory? Or a well-hearted apology that paying no heed to her feelings about her father (that the man had left her alone and never came back…), counting with her hate towards her father Jack had forced her to watch Pitch's last memory? That technically she was the reason why he had become Pitch Black and after all he had been just stiffed by the Fearlings who had sensed his wish to see her daughter again and let him into a trap? Jack didn't know how to put those into words...

“You think, I could get him out of here.” she said then. Jack gazed at her, he couldn't see her face, she was still marking the wall so close that her nose almost could have touched the wall. Jack looked to the darkness too like he could have seen through it.

“I believe.” he whispered. It sounded like a promise, not for himself but to the man inside.

She slowly slipped her hand inside the darkness. Jack wasn't surprised she could do that, after all she was powerful enough to get through the fear and on the other hand she was that counted the most to Pitch, that she was alive, that she had escaped. that she hadn’t been there with the Fearlings that time and that she was here now.

“Um…” Jack started, but the spirit was too mesmerised by getting through the wall, to catch him trying to say something. “I think I- I should go now." Jack said "He wouldn’t like me here, or, you know, know that _I_ helped.”

At the last moment she turned back to him, but she didn’t say a word. Jack looked at her. He really didn’t want to be there, that was her and Pitch’s personal matter. And it wasn’t his business, it was enough that he had already stuck his nose into the private family business - Jack really hoped it would turn out just as both deserved. Before he could have flown away, she stopped him.

“Jack.” her thoughts were seemingly somewhere else, but she likely felt as she needed to say something. “Thank you, for showing me, and for everything.” she smiled at him honestly. Jack nodded and wished the best, leaving her alone in that place in private. For once Jack understood why everything happened the way it had happened. If he wouldn’t have been the lack of his memories for centuries, it hadn’t led him there and… Jack flew out from the Lair, straight to his tree and as he landed on his beloved branch, he gazed to the sky. It was dawn and the Moon still was shining in the sky, looking down to them, guardians.

“You are a little persistent, aren’t you, old friend?” Jack cracked a smile.

* * *

“Nosy, little brat.” someone said and as Jack identified the tone, he immediately snapped his eyes open erasing every tiredness and dream from his eyes. From the realisation he all of sudden wanted to jump up, but the only thing he managed to achieve was to fall off again from the branch (he really should have found an other – safer – place now, lately the likelihood of falling seemed quite common).

As Jack was collecting himself, and as something pointy moved in the corner of his eyes, he noticed he dropped his staff during the fall and right now someone, a very particular someone, was holding it towards him. Jack froze for a slight moment. He could recall when was the last time when his staff was held the same way. But then, now it again moved a bit towards him.

“I--”

“Just take it, before I change my mind.” the man said, Jack straightaway grabbed the staff by the permission and looked at the shadow-man. After all, it shouldn’t have been weird, but his senses tensed. The Nightmare King grinned at him, but then turned away and started to walk slowly up and down.

“You know, I did meant seriously when I said we are similar.” Pitch voiced then.

“I know.” Jack breathed, thinking what he should have said or reacted to the man’s presence. Somehow it felt much safer being near to the shadow-man while he had been incapable to do anything.

For a moment Pitch glimpsed to the sky, and clearly either the Nightmare King didn’t know what to say. In Jack's mind millions of questions were swirling, he couldn’t decide how he should have felt: should he have been relieved that Pitch was there and not trapped any more or should he have been counting it as a threat that the man was here now seemingly fine and back again and regained himself?

“He could be very nasty.” the shadow-man noted then after the uncomfortable silence.

“I realised.” Jack cracked up. “Should have sent us a manual about his plans.” he couldn’t tell how but suddenly he felt Pitch wasn’t there to scare him and this meeting was just as weird for the man too as for him (and after all nothing could have scared him much any more...).

“Oh, yeah, Manny would definitely do that, what fun could he make out of it then!” Pitch laughed, it was now a slight laugh, less a harsh one, but a true one. But as the shadow-man realised it wasn’t his used to method, he turned back to his natural behaviour.

Jack was still gazing to the Moon thoughtfully when Pitch was again reaching something toward him. “Anyway, I think I should give it back.” was the Nightmare King holding a Tooth Box in his hand, Jack almost forgot he had given it away and how it had ended in Pitch’s hand.

Pitch eftsoons explained it with a shrug. “I don’t want them to worry about it right now, and we both know they could be very obsessed with me, we have a history, so… give it back to Tooth, and say you found it somewhere on your way that is not connected to me or the Lair.”

Jack took it, and couldn’t know what to say, but then the words just slipped out of him.

“I… I won’t tell them if you won’t either.” Pitch raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t know any slightest idea what you are talking about.” the man said. “I think you hit your head.”

“Yeah, really?” Jack smiled at the poor explanation. “Right, you might be true.” he agreed then. It was nice and weird, sharing on the same secret, but he was happy knowing it turned out well for the man, and that he could--

“Frost,” Pitch said suddenly, breaking off Jack’s thoughts. The man was halfway on to blend into a shadow nearby and disappear “just a friendly note, if you nose into my business again or I got you meddling on anything again in the Lair, I won’t give your staff back.”

“Got it.” Jack nodded, and barely could hear the faint ‘thank you’ as the man vanished, but he knew the last note wasn’t real, he was just imagining it, after all that was the Boogeyman whom we were talking about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, guys, for commenting, kudoing/favouriting, following and reading! :) I really loved writing this. At first, it was just a slight idea, but look what it became! It surprised me the most, that I managed to finish something in fine (it’s still a bit weird a bit, I’m in the skies right now, really, can’t comprehend how it happened). Thank you again holding up with me. I love you all, it was a pleasant journey <3 For you all, I wish a really good next year!


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